Bakuretsu Hunter CD Single

BAKURETSU HUNTER CD SINGLE
King Records/Star Child
KIDA 120
11 Mar 95
¥900

By Charles McCarter

Total Length: 8:40(2 Tracks)

1. What's up Guys?

Vocals: Furumoto Shinnosuke(Carrot Glace) and Hayashibara Megumi(Tira Misu)

2. Mask

Vocals: Okui Masami, Matsumura Kasumi

If you're familiar with BAKURETSU HUNTER (a.k.a. THE SORCERER HUNTERS), this CD single will present no surprises. Even if you've never seen the show, however, this single is a real gem.

In keeping with the outrageousness of the show, both the opening and closing are fast, upbeat dance tunes. The opening,"What's Up, Guys?", is performed by Furumoto Shinnosuke and the seemingly omnipresent Hayashibara Megumi, who do the voices for two of the main characters, Carrot Glace and Tira Misu. It's a fun duet, with a lot of energy, and both of the voice actors do a good job with this song.

"Mask", the ending song, is the real reason to get this CD, however. As energetic and fun as the opening is, this song is twice as much fun. It's fast, furious, and frenetic, with a beat that pushes the song along and takes you with it as you listen. "Mask" is one of those addictive fast-paced dance songs, so beware--you may not endear yourself to the people around you if you put this on repeat as often as I have.

The lyrics, sung by Okui Masami and Matsumura Kasumi, work well with this song, and incorporate some bizarre words (such as "sadistic" in English). The two vocalists do a good job in keeping this song and their voices under control as they move quickly through verses which fly by so quickly they are difficult to hear, let alone say.

If you like BAKURETSU HUNTER then you know what these songs sound like; the full-size versions contain no strange discrepancies or weird instrumental bridges. The CD does seem a bit short, since there are only these two tracks, but when you consider that the other two tracks on singles are usually just karaoke versions of the main songs, the length is no longer a concern. (I skip the karaoke versions on my singles, as most people do.) Even if you have never seen the show, I recommend the BAKURETSU HUNTER CD single. Timeless music of the ages it's not, but it certainly is a lot of fun.